Stay Alive
by Settees-under-siege
Summary: Part 2 of "Chance Encounter". Matt and Elizabeth's relationship is beginning to blossom and the future is looking bright. But when curcumstances threaten their newfound happiness, will they be able to survive the storm?
1. A word from the author

_Hi everyone!_

 _I know it's been a long time - too long - since you've seen any new stories from me. Life has not been very conducive to writting, or even reading for that matter. I have wanted to and have missed it and all of you but up until now it hasn't happened._

 _Over the last several months, I have had messages from quite a few people asking me if I would be finishing the story I was co-writing with Jenny-Gibbs-forever, "Chance Encounter". Initially I wasn't inclined to because I wasn't confident I could devote enough time to it but then, knowing how much many of you have enjoyed it, I reconsidered. However, I knew that because the story wasn't published on my account that I couldn't simply pick it up. As a result, I tried to get in touch with my co-writer but was sadly unsuccessful. (Jenny-Gibbs-forever, should you ever read this, please don't take offence to my continuing it alone! I simply couldn't leave it be in the end.) Because of this, I have now posted a direct continuation of "Chance Encounter" under this new story title which was inspired by the title song of the series "Chant it Like a Mantra" by The Man._

 _If you are new to the Freezing fandom but are familiar with Cobert (Robert and Cora from the Downton Abbey fandom) then this is essentially them as a modern day couple, as portrayed in the three part series "Freezing". The irony is that Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern play husband and wife in this series which predates Downton (and even alludes to it in the third episode) and everything that transpires on the show is inspired by the reality of Elizabeth's life in London as a middle-aged actress at that point in time. It's directed by her real-life husband Simon Curtis (Matt's character is loosely based on him) and includes both fictional characters as well as actors and actresses playing themselves. For example, Richard E Grant (whom you'll know as Simon Bricker in Downton) appears as himself in Episode 1 while actress Joely Richardson appears in the same episode and same scene as a character called Rachel. As such, I am keeping to the way in which "Freezing" was written so some characters will appear as themselves and others will be written as new characters._

 _If you haven't watched the series yet, I really recommend doing so before you start reading this fic and you can find the links to all three episodes on my FF profile page. It's brilliant and so funny! And if you have not yet read "Chance Encounter" (there is also a link on my profile as well as it being in the Freezing category), I strongly recommend reading that first too or the first (seventh chapter) is going to seem a bit odd. If you'd rather jump straight into this though, here is the blurb for the original story:_

Matthew is a successful businessman in the realm of publishing. Based in West London he finds he is using up all his creative energy on his girlfriend Heidi. One night they head to a party at a friend's house where Matt happens upon an American actress called Elizabeth. Will this chance encounter lead to something more?

 _At this point, you should know that my updates may fluctuate a bit because of other commitments but now I've started again I am determined to finish this story once and for all. I hope you can all be patient if I am taking more than a few days to update. Indeed, I hope that some of my wonderful readers from the old days will rejoin me on this journey and welcome to all of you who are just discovering what is now a two-part story! So without further ado, let us begin!_


	2. Chapter 7

It promised to be a beautiful day as Elizabeth sat on the tube, still above ground and hurtling towards Hammersmith station. After so many days of uncertainty and melancholy, whatever ear-bashing Richard was sure to give her for being late to rehearsals would not dampen her spirits today. And she was determined to make up for it though already being in such a blue state had certainly helped her to get into character for some of the scenes. As the District Line train descended below ground, Elizabeth's phone beeped with a text.

 _So what happened between you and Matt this morning?_

Elizabeth's lips curled up into a smirk as she read Leon's text. She could easily imagine him being miffed following being abruptly cut off his phone call to Elizabeth by Matt. But she knew what Leon was like and his imagination was sure to be brimming with all sorts of possibilities within the last hour and unfortunately for him, she conveniently now had no signal with which to reply, even if she wanted to. Thus, her reunion with Matt would stay between them for a little while longer.

* * *

As soon as Matt strolled into the office he made a beeline for the telephone on his desk. Sitting down in the swivel chair he quickly flicked through and located the local flower shop in the phone book and punched in the number.

"Yes hello, this is Matt speaking. Can I please order a dozen red roses to be picked up at 5.30pm today? Wonderful! Thank you!" Putting the phone down on the receiver he glanced up to find Shapiero grinning at him.

"What's the occasion?" Shapiero asked him casually. Matt just managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"No occasion," he replied airily. "I just want to do something nice for my lady friend."

"I'm sure Heidi would appreciate that." Matt blanched.

"It seems I've failed to mention this to you but Heidi is no longer my girlfriend Shapiero." Shapiero's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Congratulations on your escape then," he said seriously. Matt nodded. Shapiero had not met Heidi but he had seen what a negative impact she'd had on his colleague.

"Thanks, it took her a while to get the message but I think she will finally leave me alone."

"After all you've told me I'm glad to hear it. From your descriptions I always seem to think of a leech whenever you talked of her."

"Well she definitely leeched a lot of my energy," Matt conceded. "Anyway, it's all finished and I am looking forward to more peaceful evenings now."

"Oh? Is your new lady friend quite reserved in comparison then?" Shapiero asked curiously.

"No, not at all. She comes from America and has no qualms in giving her opinion but she isn't like Heidi at all." At this, Matt's mind wondered to Elizabeth and how she was getting on with her rehearsal. With filming due to begin soon on _The Scarlet Pimpernel_ , he was sure she would have been reprimanded for her late arrival and made a mental note to text her on his coffee break.

Seeing that Matt was miles away, Shapiero smiled. "Well I hope everything works out better for you this time Matt. Goodness only knows you deserve it. What did you say her name was?" Matt blinked. Her name. It was well known in America but not so much in England. Nevertheless, he felt in no hurry to be mentioning that he was seeing a movie star.

"Her name is Elizabeth."

"Let me know how you get on with the roses tomorrow," Shapiero said jovially and left Matt to his thoughts.

* * *

Elizabeth had just put the paprika on the two steaks in the frying pan when she heard the knock on the door. Grinning, she made sure the oven knobs were turned to their correct positions, rinsed her hands and walked down the hallway to the door. What a difference a few hours could make. When Matt had stood on her doorstep that morning she had been tempted to simply shut the door on him. Now, she couldn't get to it fast enough to let him in. Unlatching the lock she opened it to find Matt wearing the same smile as her, a bunch of red roses in his right hand.

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely as his eyes swept over the navy skirt and matching blouse she had changed into after work. He noted that she had left her hair down and her eyes were more cerulean than he'd ever seen them. Her blush at his compliment tinged her cheeks a pretty pink shade.

"Thank you Matt, come in."

Matt stepped over the threshold and handed her the flowers, bending to press a chaste kiss to her cheek as Elizabeth's blush deepened in delight at the contact. A delicious smell met him as they made their way into the kitchen.

"Something smells good," he observed.

"It's the steak," Elizabeth replied cheerfully. "With potatoes, macaroni cheese and runner beans."

"Macaroni cheese?" Matt repeated, surprised. Elizabeth paused from where she had bent down to the oven door to check on the dish in question.

"We always had it with our steak when I was growing up but I think it's more of an American thing," she explained. "And I chose steak because that's what you ordered the first time we went out to dinner together." Standing upright, she looked at Matt nervously, wondering if she had overstepped the mark sentimentally. She had learned how stiff the English could be with their upper lips.

Matt, on the other hand, was feeling thrilled with her thoughtful gesture. An English classic meal with an American twist sounded perfect to him. Seeing her unsure of his thoughts, he approached her and rested his hand on her upper arm. "It all sounds marvellous and I look forward to trying this new combination." Elizabeth's bright smile returned and she redoubled her efforts with the cooking.

After a tasty dinner, complete with a bottle of Pinot Noir, they relocated to Elizabeth's lounge room and settled comfortably on the sofa, both choosing to sit on the end with the middle cushion between them. Matt happily observed the white lily of the valley roses he had given her that morning sitting serenely in their vase on the coffee table in front of them.

"Would you like to watch a movie?" Elizabeth asked. Matt remained silent for a moment as he considered this simple question. He had already decided earlier that day that he ought to watch the movies Elizabeth had starred in so he could not only understand her better but also field any questions along those lines from anyone else in the future. However, he had no idea how she would feel about watching her own movies with him, if at all and though perhaps it was best to work his way through them in his own time. His pause had induced a frown to Elizabeth's forehead.

"What are you thinking?" she asked quietly. Matt's eyes snapped to hers from their resting point on her left shoulder.

"I- Perhaps we could just talk instead?" he offered. Elizabeth arched one eyebrow.

"Is this because of my work?" Matt swallowed and she inclined her head knowingly. "This is actually one of the few downsides to being an actress," she remarked. Matt looked at her questioningly so she continued. "Most people who aren't in the entertainment business don't seem to know how to broach the subject of movies I, or anyone else I know, have been in without being awkward in some way. It's like because I'm an actress who has starred in big movies, walked the red carpet with other well-known and respected actors and actresses and supposedly lives the high life, there is some sort of chasm between me and the general population. I don't think most people realise, or even consider the possibility, that I go to my local supermarket and have the same loyalty card as them. That I look at the specials, not the prime cuts. Goodness only knows wages are not consistent in this profession and while I have a few nice dresses in my wardrobe I am well aware that I have to keep getting the roles to pay for them so I can meet expectations at the promotion events. To be honest Matt, I only tend to wear them for those occasions anyway. I'm more than happy in jeans. I'm sorry I'm rambling now," Elizabeth mumbled as a wave of self-consciousness washed over her. She was not usually so forthright when it came to her work but that feeling of safety she'd experienced with Matt ever since they'd first met had come to the surface again. Then she saw him reach his hand over the middle cushion towards her. She reciprocated and linked her hand with his, feeling his gentle squeeze of reassurance.

"You can ramble all you want to me you know. I want to get to know you better and I know things have been awkward at times between us but it wasn't because of your day job." Elizabeth gave him a small smile at his choice of words. "I only thought it might be discourteous of me to request one of your own movies and for you to have to sit there and not be able to watch it with the same eyes as me. I do understand where you are coming from though, regarding many people not knowing how to behave around you. Perhaps I can help you there?"

"How?"

"I could share the load with you and help to take any unwanted attention away from you, even in small ways. I could answer some of the questions you receive and have probably been asked a million times already, maybe before they have even been asked. I could-"

"-be my knight in shining armour," Elizabeth cut in, sliding closer to him on the sofa, her expression tender.

"I certainly mean to try," Matt said earnestly and raised her hand to kiss the back of it.

"You're so sweet Matt," she said softly. He held her gaze for one long moment before reaching up with his other hand to caress her cheek, leaning closer as his thumb rubbed over her cheek bone. Elizabeth's eyes fluttered closed as she felt his lips tentatively press against her own and she responded, shuffling even closer to curl her free arm around his neck. For a few blissful moments, their lips danced a slow waltz and all of their cares fell away. Then, reluctantly, they broke apart for air.

"Do you know how I'd like to spend the rest of the evening?" Matt asked, still holding her gaze. Elizabeth shook her head. "I want to simply hold you in my arms and talk to you."

"That sounds wonderful to me," Elizabeth agreed.

Matt quickly rearranged his position on the sofa and wrapped his arm around Elizabeth as she settled against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Sighing contentedly, she listened as Matt began to tell her a story.


	3. Chapter 8

_Two weeks later_

The sliding doors to Heathrow Terminal 1 glided open to allow them to pass into the check in area. Hand in hand, Matt and Elizabeth walked towards the British Airways desks, Matt carrying her suitcase whilst Elizabeth kept an eye out for any of the cast and crew from _The Scarlet Pimpernel_ , many of whom were going to be on the same flight. Matt had insisted on driving his girlfriend to the airport to see her off as she was to be away for filming for three weeks and for once, he did not mind getting up to an extra early alarm.

Over the past two weeks, they had been seeing each other as often as possible and their friendship had quickly progressed to a tentative relationship. Not one to rush things too quickly, Matt was doing his best to be a gentleman and take things at a pace Elizabeth was comfortable with and whilst she could be quite forward at times, he had also sensed it was going to take quite some time for her to truly be at ease with him. He attributed this to the influence of her 'day job', as he had taken to calling it after she had made a comment the previous week about finding it hard to completely trust people because of being hurt in the past. He was determined to not become another statistic of pain to her. Movement out the corner of his eye caught his attention and he glanced over to find her stifling a yawn. Smiling he leaned towards her.

"You could have some more sleep on the plane if you wanted." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at the suggestion and shrugged.

"I don't foresee that happening. Apparently there have been a few headaches acquiring enough costumes for all of the extras because there are currently two other productions shooting from the same period at the moment. I daresay I'll be hearing more about that on the way over."

"That sounds fun." As they continued to walk, Matt marvelled that despite the size of the industry in England, there was somehow a shortage of period costumes. Yet another reminder of how much he had to learn of the entertainment business.

As they came to the entrance ropeways for check in, Elizabeth spotted Richard, Martin and Patrick and waved. Zigzagging their way forward, Elizabeth and Matt had soon caught up with them in what was mercifully, only a short queue.

"Good morning everyone," she said cheerfully. "I'd like to introduce you to Matt," she announced.

"Hello!" Matt held out his hand and Richard took it, wringing it firmly.

"The answer to all of the riddles," he observed. Elizabeth blushed as Matt looked at her questioningly. "She's been dropping hints about a change in her life for days now," Richard explained. Matt raised his eyebrows, his lips twitching slightly.

"Yes, you have been quite a source of intrigue," Martin interjected. "It's been almost as riveting as the script!" Elizabeth groaned.

"This is Patrick Lau, our director." Matt nodded as they shook hands.

"It's very nice of you to come and see Elizabeth off."

"I didn't have to think twice about it. I'm going to miss her very much." The older man smiled.

"You'll be back here to pick her up before you know it." Matt turned and gave Elizabeth a tender look as they shuffled forward in the queue.

After Elizabeth had successfully checked in, she hung back with Matt while the rest waited by the security entrance. "I hope you are able to enjoy some of Prague's sights while you are filming," he said earnestly. "I hear the astronomical clock is fascinating to watch."

"Filming usually starts early and can go until dinner time if the shots don't go well. Sometimes when I have a day off I haven't got the energy to go sightseeing but I shall try to see the clock," she said.

"I hope you don't exhaust yourself Elizabeth."

"Oh I'm used to it," she replied breezily. Sighing, she stepped closer to him, and rested her hands on his broad shoulders. "I'll miss you too," she murmured, echoing his earlier sentiment. Cupping her cheek, he gave her a chaste kiss.

"Send me an email if you have time?"

"Of course I will."

For a moment, the world became a dull background as they embraced, Elizabeth standing on tip-toes. Then she released her arms from his neck. "I'll see you soon Matt." Turning, she walked over to join the others, fishing her boarding pass and passport out as she went. Matt watched as both were inspected and then she was waved through. Turning, she blew him a kiss as she disappeared around the corner into security.

* * *

It was a cold but sunny day as Elizabeth and Richard sat on the rooftop terrace of the Terasa U Prince, she with a hot chocolate and he with a whiskey. An outdoor gas heater was conveniently located right beside their table, countering the brisk breeze that whipped over the buildings of Prague's buzzing centre. The astronomical clock tower kept a silent watch over them from its location just across the square, the star attraction. Indeed, though Elizabeth intended to do her best to see the clock and thus tell Matt about it, she hadn't thought it would be so easily achieved but when they had all arrived at their hotel, Hotel U Prince, there it was, only a stroll away. She had since gazed a few times in fascination when every hour on the hour, the clock revealed figurines of the Twelve Apostles and other mini sculptures. A calendar dial with the months represented by medallions served as a reminder of the clock's medieval origins and the craftsmanship she considered to be a marvel. And that didn't even factor in the rest of the city. Inhaling a deep breath she gazed out over the rooftops, her mind wandering. She had only seen a little of the city aside from the square due to filming constraints but it was already high on her list of favourite places in the world and she hoped she could explore it properly one day, preferably not alone as she thought what an amazing place this would be to have a honeymoon. A cough brought her sharply back to the present.

"I can see why Julian wanted to use Prague as the stand-in for Paris," Richard commented, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

"Yes, it's rather remarkable isn't it?" Elizabeth took a sip of her hot chocolate, savouring the thick creamy texture.

"Indeed. I wish I had come here before." Richard studied his co-star across the table. It was refreshing to see her long auburn hair gently dancing around her shoulders after so many scenes trying not to pay too much attention to the large wig she wore as Marguerite. She was able to relax in her chair without the confines of a corset keeping her back decidedly straight and that was without the rest of the period ensemble. He had always thought that actresses had a tougher time literally getting into character. "I think I'll do some more sightseeing next Thursday," he declared. "Would you like to join me?" Elizabeth looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and then slowly shook her head.

"As much as I appreciate the offer Richard, I think I'd like to come back another time and really see Prague properly, rather than in snippets." Richard nodded in understanding.

"Perhaps you'll have company with you too?" he suggested and Elizabeth felt her cheeks warm as Matt materialized in her mind's eye. Even though they were still very much getting to know each other, she could not deny she was already starting to see a future with him but she also felt cautious. She had felt like this once before and when that relationship had imploded she had nearly been undone by the resulting heartache.

"Maybe," she replied nonchalantly. "Do you think you'll bring Joan here?" she asked.

"I'd like to one day. She loves elaborate architecture and Prague has no shortage of it," he laughed. Elizabeth smiled as thoughts of what being in a loving, steady marriage might be like. She knew roughly what to expect based on what she had observed with her own parents and other couples she knew but it wasn't the same as living it. Her fingers played with the handle of the cup of hot chocolate as she continued to ruminate about relationships.

* * *

Matt strode along the footpath beside the Thames, trying to walk off what had turned out to be a frustrating morning. He was very close to doing a book deal worth £100,000 which would give him a very nice payday indeed, but Colin, the author, was prevaricating a lot and getting on his nerves. Matt knew the offer wouldn't get any better but unfortunately Colin had decided to double-check every avenue before he was willing to accept this. Matt passed under Barnes Bridge and dodged around a few people all milling at the bus stop, not quite sure he could keep walking for much longer, knowing that if Colin wasn't going to play ball (yet) then he should at least get back to the office for the afternoon. He was just at the point of turning around and heading back to the bus stop when a woman with shoulder length blonde hair caught his attention. Matt froze.

Across the road, Heidi stood outside the entrance to _The Bulls Head_ pub looking more than a little worse for wear. Her clothes hung loosely on her and her face looked gaunt. She looked from right to left and back again and for a moment, Matt thought she had seen him and was going to cross the road. Then, apparently having made a decision, she moved to the left and disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Matt let out a breath. He was aware that even in a city the size of London that running into people unexpectedly was still a relatively common occurrence, especially if they lived on the same side of town. He assumed Heidi was back living with her mother but was starting to wonder if she had moved somewhere else as he was sure her mother would certainly not be feeding her rations. And more than anything, he was relieved. So very relieved that he had not had to acknowledge her, let alone talk to her for he didn't like to think of all of the possible outcomes that could have caused. Guilt stabbed him. He had not given Heidi more than a couple of minutes of thought since he had ejected her from his house and she was clearly still suffering from their breakup. Or perhaps it had nothing to do with him? He knew he was most likely kidding himself given how emotionally sensitive she could be but still, he didn't want the image of the very thin woman he had just seen to become a mental torture. Feeling a headache coming on, Matt turned and went back to catch the next bus.

* * *

 _A/N Firstly, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed the seventh (first) chapter! I'm thrilled you are all happy I am continuing it and it means so much to me! Also big thanks to everyone who has followed/favourited, I really appreciate it!_

 _Following on from my introductory notes, I now have a few more to add. Elizabeth did film scenes for_ The Scarlet Pimpernel _in Prague, chosen for it's resemblance to 18th century Paris. She_ _alluded to two other productions filming at the same time as_ The Scarlet Pimpernel _causing problems for the costume department which was indeed the case at the time as_ Hornblower: The Even Chance _and_ Vanity Fair _were_ _also shooting._ _(If you love period, I highly recommend Hornblower too!)_ _Richard's comment about Julian Murphy choosing Prague as the location is entirely fictional but it is likely he was heavily involved in the location choices as he was the producer._

 _The Terasa U Prince is the restaurant of the Hotel U Prince, a world heritage site and this scene was inspired by my own visits to Prague and experiencing the extraordinary rooftop view, complete with hot chocolate, myself. As a general rule, cast and crew do tend to stay in some pretty plush places during filming hence my choice of location. Also, the astronomical clock is the third-oldest in the world and the oldest still operating today, well worth seeing!_

 _The walk that Matt did in the final scene is one I have done myself and_ The Bulls Head pub _is a venue Elizabeth is familiar with in real life as some of her musician friends have played gigs there._

 _Perhaps you all see a little pattern starting to form here? Basically, I will be weaving a combination of fact, fiction, the occasional educated guess and a sprinkling of personal experience into this story so it isn't just (hopefully) enjoyable to read, but also realistic and in the spirit of how the_ Freezing _scripts were written. I'd love to hear your thoughts!_


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